Topic: Everything Android - The Official Android Thread

[shingi_70]

Wow, heckler talking about machines that kill people...

Big Class war going on in San Fran right now and Google is right in the middle of it.

As per it being a developer conference I really liked last year's google I/o and WWDC. Stuff like android studio and the new ios design  language were cool. I think all the segments went on a bit too long.

I felt Android TV has all the same problems that killed Google TV to be honest.  The chromestuff looks cool but it and the using tablets for nearly every demo just shows Google doesn't have a real Truck platform so to speak. 

[Ceric]

I watched most of it on and off.  It went on for way way to long so there is a lot of cool stuff I missed in the fluff.

[BranDonk Kong]

Unreal Engine 4 running on Android TV (and not the Wii U )

[pokepal148]

God are they really doing this TV stuff again I mean honestly.

[BranDonk Kong]

Yes and it will be awesome. You basically get a TV with a built-in game console and has any multimedia (aside from BluRay) that you will probably ever need. TV with built-in XBMC = the greatest thing to ever happen to TV.

[shingi_70]

But didn't google TV flop for being exactly this.  I mean consumers only buy TVs every once in a while. Also won't oems screw it over buy out pricing it compared to their own internal TV OS's.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just get a roku or an Xbox One if you want the TV take over stuff.

[BranDonk Kong]

Consumers only buy new TVs every once in a while, largely due to the price, I'd say. TVs are getting so cheap, I'm even surprised how cheap 4KTVs already are. Next year Samsung, SONY, etc., are releasing TVs with Android TV built-in. There would be no reason to price an Android TV higher than their own OS-based TVs, in fact it would probably be cheaper to sell an Android TV than to pay their own development team to build their OS and make updates. Sure they'll have to pay a couple bucks in royalties to Microsoft like everyone does (I assume), but if you're getting the OS essentially for free then why not go with it? Especially since Android TV is also a gaming platform, and can cast anything from your phone, be controlled with a watch or phone or tablet it just makes sense and would be a huge selling point for any new TV. Google TV failed because it sucked, no one was making apps for it, and it was expensive. Google TV = current version of Android. Control issues aside, an Android app is an Android TV app.


I've been on the fence for getting a new TV for a few months now, but I'm definitely going to hold out for a 4K Android TV now.

[NWR_insanolord]

I would much rather have a box that connects to the TV than have this built into the TV. Those are easier and cheaper to replace or upgrade. Most of the smart TVs I've seen also suck compared to something like a Roku in terms of interface, performance and selection of services.

[Plugabugz]

I have a £5 HDMI cable connected to my PC and an do 99% of these things already.

[NWR_insanolord]

Yeah, that's even better if you have a setup where it's feasible.

[BranDonk Kong]

Even if you get an Android TV, there's nothing stopping you from getting another Android TV set-top box later down the road. Since I have a cable box, Wii U, PS4, Xbone, Chromecast, and OUYA, my HDMI ports are precious, so any way that I can not use them and still get the content on my TV is always a plus. I would much rather free up some ports and have my PS3 and Xbox 360 hooked back up.

[Ceric]

Why did people stop getting Receivers and Surround sound systems?

[pokepal148]

Why did people stop getting Receivers and Surround sound systems?

Idk they are idiots. Recievers are awesome nowadays because they all have like 18 hdmi ports in them. Seriously especially since nobody puts speakers in tv's you would think people would be more willing to invest in surround sound.

[BranDonk Kong]

Because sound bars have taken over that market, and they typically have zero or one HDMI inputs. I'd probably be fine with a sound bar, since my TV has digital audio output (from any input source).

[nickmitch]

Yeah, a sound bar is the the perfect middle ground for having something better than your TV speakers but less expensive than proper surround.  It's also much easier to set up and usually less intimidating to people.

[Ceric]

I just don't understand how you can be a Gamer of any type of seriousness and not have a receiver in the end.

Yeah, I mean Soundbars are fine for most people but if you own multiple consoles there is nothing like a good receiver and surround sound setup.  Especially the Subwoofer.

[shingi_70]

I'm poor.

Any news on L being updated to the nexus 4?

[BranDonk Kong]

I don't think there is any doubt whatsoever that it will get the update.

And of course you can be a serious gamer without surround sound, that's just silly.

[NWR_insanolord]

Even if you get an Android TV, there's nothing stopping you from getting another Android TV set-top box later down the road. Since I have a cable box, Wii U, PS4, Xbone, Chromecast, and OUYA, my HDMI ports are precious, so any way that I can not use them and still get the content on my TV is always a plus. I would much rather free up some ports and have my PS3 and Xbox 360 hooked back up.

True, but that functionality wouldn't be a factor in a TV purchase for me. As for HDMI limits, my current TV has four HDMI ports and I still need a hub to give me more.

[BranDonk Kong]

Same here.

[shingi_70]

Only have 3 HDMI ports on my TV two being used for my Xbox and Chromecast.


A thing I noticed about Google i/o was the lack of Focus on Web as a platform. Chrome OS, Glass, and Google Plus were barley mentioned. Glass might as well not exist and seems to be a Vanity prodcut or something for the long term. Chrome and Plus were mentioned but both were used in relation as being background services for Google Now and the google ecosystem.


Chrome did have a focus on getting away from web apps since I'm assuming what they showed connecting with android were packaged apps.


The Google Watches seem to be the best type of wearable so far. The LG G watch seems to be able t go 24 hours even with the screen always on.




I know Theverge put out an article saying its time to choose between eco systems and its harder than ever to go cross platform.


I find it intresting that as cool as the stuff at WWDC was google has sort of leap froged both microsoft and apple when it comes to eco system coheasion.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'd say it's going pretty far to say Google has a more cohesive experience than Apple or especially Microsoft. And it's still perfectly feasible to go between Apple and Google, in my experience. As I believe everyone here knows, I'm a pretty dyed-in-the-wool Apple guy, but I also use a bunch of different Google services and they integrate just fine into it.

[shingi_70]

I guess, but you get the optimal experience using everything together. The main problem google has is that they haven't sorted out Hangouts/Voice features between their platforms.


The Chrome OS stuff is pretty tempting to switching over to a chrome book. If only there was a way to code on one and have more storage.


The Apps they showed off aren't the packaged apps that Google tried to push with no real success. (They only made one packaged app and couln't even get evernote to make one.


So instead Chrome OS seems to have an Android run time.



There will only be a few apps launching this fall, but hopefully its opened up quickly so you can get stuff like Press and Pocketcasts on chrome.




Promixty unlock between chromebook's and android devices.



A google version of continuity were what you've been doing and notifications link between the two.


I was hoping we would have seen a more refinfed version of Google Now for chrome.

[NWR_insanolord]

The Acer Chromebooks come with 320 GB hard drives, so no storage issue there. I've got one of them (which I've installed Linux on).

[BranDonk Kong]

I imagine a Chrome OS-based Android Studio will be released eventually, or Chrome OS will basically be merged with Android.