Google Announces Android 4.3, Netflix, New Nexus 7, and Q Successor Chromecast 244
At a press conference dubbed "Breakfast With Sundar," Google announced two new pieces of hardware and a minor revision to Android. Complete stories and commentary are still coming in, but in the mean time you can skim a liveblog or two
First is the new Nexus 7. The hardware is slightly improved (full HD screen, better graphics, etc.). The specs managed to "leak" hours before the event through Best Buy opening preordering too early. On the software side, they've announced a minor revision to Android, 4.3. It features improved Bluetooth support (including Bluetooth 4.0), OpenGL ES 3.0, enhanced internationalization, enhanced DRM, and multi-user support. The multi-user support looks most exciting: now you can share a tablet with more than one person. One of the features Google focused on was restricted profiles: a device owner can create accounts that e.g. cannot make in-app purchases (Junior won't rack up a $3000 bill again). Bad news: Google is implementing stricter DRM for books and video, locking down the entire video stack. The consolation prize is that Netflix will work on more devices and at 1080p. Also demoed were a new version of Chrome that brings the tablet experience closer to the desktop, improved hangouts, and improved maps. Google also appears to be making a push into gaming, emphasizing tablet-only games that integrate into Google+. In addition to gaming, they have secured deals with five major textbook publishers to sell students presumably DRMed electronic textbooks that can be purchased or rented, enhanced with better search and highlighting (because PDF readers don't support those features already). As usual lately, all of the really nice additions to Android are proprietary and tied to Google services, further eroding the open nature of Android.
Finally, they announced a tiny $35 dongle named Chromecast that appears to be the successor of the Nexus Q. Running Chrome OS, it connects to any HDMI port, finds your Wi-Fi network, and Just Works (tm) for online video. The online and mobile Youtube and Netflix interfaces will allow you to hit a single button and forward the video to your television as well. Google Music streaming to the television is also supported. The Chromecast looks like a handy little device, hopefully it is turns out it can be reflashed. Of course, when using your browser as a remote, all of the commands go through The Cloud. An SDK and more details on the software side of things are slated for release later today, although conspiciously absent on their supported platforms list is GNU/Linux, listing only Chrome OS and Android. Update: 07/24 18:01 GMT by U L : The Chromecast SDK is out, but with an awfully restrictive license that requires written permission from Google to distribute any cast enabled applications, which appears to make it completely incompatible with Free/Open Source software.
Not all new (Score:5, Insightful)
Multiple user accounts have been available in Android for ages, this is just some enhancements. Same with sending YouTube and Netflix video from your phone/tablet to your TV - I can do that with my Panasonic Viera and Galaxy S3.
Features being tied to Google services is hardly new either.
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Indeed what's interesting to me is the lack of a few anticipated things here. I havent followed closely but I thought the next update was going to be Key Lime Pie and was looking forward to a Nexus 5.
The new support library seems interesting though
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Indeed what's interesting to me is the lack of a few anticipated things here. I havent followed closely but I thought the next update was going to be Key Lime Pie and was looking forward to a Nexus 5.
The new support library seems interesting though
I'm just hoping none of this is forced on my GS4 via my service provider. I'm one of those Pre-Paid cheakskates, but have noticed when I switch the phone to 4G (for a day or a week) all sorts of updates suddenly show up.
Re:Not all new (Score:4, Insightful)
If you like tinkering you might consider rooting and giving CM10 a try. Back when I used to do root & tinker there were ways, (once rooted, depending on the ROM), to block updates. Rooting is not everyone's cup-o-joe though, some prefer stock-like CM, etc., others like TouchWiz.
Also, nothing cheap about being prepaid. :) Once T-Mo get's their LTE house in order I plan to go back to them with whatever their prepaid / month to month BYOD plan is now.
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You can use HDMI to put the phone's display on TV screen. The TV has a browser and other apps and can use the phone as a remote control/keyboard. You can send media saved on the phone directly to the TV, or watch TV on the phone.
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my wife wants to get a new phone that can use a heart rate monitor (cycling and running), but I much prefer Android to iOS
Okay that's nice, but what does SHE prefer?
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Need 4.2 and either 7" or root (Score:2)
More importantly (Score:5, Interesting)
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ActionBarSherlock fills this role pretty well already, even with some added features. But this is good stuff nonetheless. The support library has always been a great addition to the SDK. It really helps avoid writing ugly wrapper classes, or the really ugly old technique of using reflection for API levels. I would like to see them add more widgets though. Such as TimePicker, CalenderPicker, etc. Some support for ORM, and better handling of Fragments, instance states, data persistence and Loaders (less b
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Mod parent up! Lots of super-cheap devices being sold with old versions of Android limited how modern an app can look if you wanted to target that audience because of their old API level. Now that google is backporting some of those features, apps can look modern while still running on ancient hardware. This was the primary fragmentation argument from developers and is now fixed.
considering the apps can look like whatever regardless of what android they're running on I don't get what the big point is.
the whole point of how they can do this in a backsupport lib is that.. well, laadidaa, you've been able to code similar functionality since api level 7.
now.. are they going to include a decent network image library? that would be more useful than the actionbar lib.
Re: More importantly (Score:2)
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This is a decent code sample too:
https://code.google.com/p/adamkoch/source/browse/#git%2Fbitmapfun [google.com]
From, here:
http://developer.android.com/training/displaying-bitmaps/index.html [android.com]
(adam koch is an Android developer advocate at Google, and the code comes from the AOSP but is backported to use the support lib)
Bluetooth LE (Score:3)
With Bluetooth 4.0, hopefully the Wahoo Blue HR can now be supported by runkeeper et al.
AirPlay, iBooks, Game Center, and more DRM (Score:5, Funny)
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AirPlay? No.
Can't stream local media.
Can't use local wifi - creates its own hotspot.
HDMI + USB.
May appeal to the geek, but Mom ain't ever going to figure this one out.
How do they plan to do that if I own the kernel? (Score:2)
How in the world do they lockdown a video stack if I have access to the kernel?
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Details are a bit thin, and will presumably depend on the hardware; but Google has this to say [android.com]:
"Android also now supports hardware-backed storage for your KeyChain credentials, providing more security by making the keys unavailable for extraction. That is, once keys are in a hardware-backed key store (Secure Element, TPM, or TrustZone), they can be used for cryptographic operations but the private key material cannot be exported. Even the OS kernel cannot access this key material. While not all Android-powe
Re:How do they plan to do that if I own the kernel (Score:4, Insightful)
Well, I guess I can leave android now. Any word on when firefox OS devices start shipping?
It was nice while it lasted.
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Easy: you don't have access to the kernel.
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Short of rooting it, do you have access to the kernel?
I didn't think you did.
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How would that even work?
If you control the kernel you can have it lie and return whatever signature you want. If it tries to hash something, let it hash a copy of the signed kernel you backed up.
Re:How do they plan to do that if I own the kernel (Score:5, Insightful)
How would that even work?
If you control the kernel you can have it lie and return whatever signature you want. If it tries to hash something, let it hash a copy of the signed kernel you backed up.
It doesn't matter if the encryption is solid or not. It could be a simple XOR if they wanted to. What matters is that the DMCA makes anyone who fiddles with it a criminal.
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Which is already how I play DVDs, so by now I must be a hardened criminal. Making normal people criminals is not good for society.
At this point I should probably just priate media since they don't even want to let me legally play it.
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Maybe through the integration of SELinux and MAC, which was buried in the announcement.
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Again, I own the kernel so I can have SELinux doing whatever I want.
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My guess would be a shim program that performs cryptographic checksums of the running kernel, or a key component. The shim is downloaded as part of whatever application wants to implement restricted DRM, such as Netflix.
What the kernel replies is of no consequence, since it is never queried.
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So how in the world does this code run?
How would it even know if it is checking the running kernel vs all those reads being redirected?
Re: How do they plan to do that if I own the kerne (Score:2)
You're describing an extreme corner case. Detailed modifications to a kernel that intercepts specific reads is not exactly what they are worried about.
If they are then the next iteration of devices will be like the Chromebooks, with TPM chips and signed boot loaders and kernels.
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Sure, but it is possible.
That next iteration will then have me looking for alternatives. I simply will not buy a smartphone that I do not own. If I can't flash my own kernels it is useless to me. I am willing to lose netflix for that.
TPM (Score:2)
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In which case I would have my kernel start up the signed kernel and pass this task off to it. Virtualization is great.
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How does it know what is is hashing is what it thinks it is hashing?
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You're missing the point. Google doesn't care if DRM is bullet proof, or if it actually works at all. It only has to be good enough to make the content providers happy.
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DRM is never good, nor is imaginary property anything more than that.
I do not pirate software nor media, but I cannot accept such views. Only one person has to crack this before everyone can have a copy.
The overlap between what you call Thieves, which are in fact not stealing anything only copying it, and normal people is likely far more than you expect.
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Both parties have that ability already. You can send me a file and I can send you money. I will not send you money for a file I cannot play. Try to also remember many consumers are producers too.
Piracy is not theft, which is why they are never charged with theft. Normal people actually often commit piracy. Far more than technically inclined folks.
DRM and laws around already make me a criminal when I play a DVD I bought. That does not encourage me to continue to buy media.
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It's gotten to the point that I feel offended when someone implies I am a "consumer", as though I were a baby bird waiting, mouth agape, for some mama-bird "provider" to cough up some "product" for me to consume.
As a participant, not a mere "consumer", the extremism in the defense of international conglomerates' Intellectual Precious is a plague.
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Or theyare smart and know that nobody cares to rip the HDMI stream but instead just download the movie in full HD from the pirate bay. or if you dont want to be tracked, rip the Bluray.
ChromeCast (Score:5, Interesting)
The thing is $35, and (at least for now) includes 3 free months of Netflix (even for existing subscribers).
That means that if you want a 1080p Netflix box for your TV, this thing costs you $11... that's one heck of a lot cheaper than an AppleTV or Roku.
My parents have been complaining about how ridiculously slow Netflix is on their Samsung bluray player (the streaming works fine, the interface takes forever to load pages), so this might just be their solution...
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It seems like it might not do that today, but it sounds like they're opening up the API so that anybody can add support to stream to it.
What would probably need to happen is Plex's media server would need to add support for that, and then you'd use the iOS or Android interface to browse the content and instruct your Plex box to send the video to the TV.
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That means that if you want a 1080p Netflix box for your TV, this thing costs you $11... that's one heck of a lot cheaper than an AppleTV or Roku.
Except it's not standalone. It doesn't even have a remote. That may not be an issue for everyone, but it is ONLY controllable by computer or smartphone. That could be a significant barrier for a more lay user.
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My 5 year old controls the Roku with her Android tablet. I think you are seriously underestimating people here.
Which is fair, but not the entirety of my point. The device may be $35, but it also requires that Roku tablet. Other devices, like an AppleTV, do not require any other device at all. It's kind of ironic, considering all the fuss Google made about Chromecast not requiring Android.
So yes, your 5 year old may be able to control a Roku with a tablet, but your 5 year old needed the tablet. I also don't buy that if your 5 year old could control a tablet, everybody can (let's give a little credit to your 5 year ol
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Certainly, I agree with you. However, most people already have a computer or smartphone or tablet. My parents currently have both iPhones and an iPad. In fact, the Netflix interface on their bluray player is so slow (often images don't load at all, but streaming works perfectly) that they browse for content on the iPad and then use the bluray remote to type the name of the show in directly, so eliminating one of those steps (by allowing them to just hit a button on the iPad after finding the content) would
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so instead of buying an apple tv, roku, smart tv or blu ray player i'm going to buy this chromey thingy and stream netflix from my tablet? what else does it do? nothing? awesome. i can build a whole streaming network at the house with this because its so cool
geek thinking right there
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So, the problem to be solved is "the Netflix-capable box my parents currently use is almost unusably slow, forcing them to find content on an iPad and then search directly for it on the TV to avoid using the barely functional Netflix box".
Your solution is to spend $100 on an AppleTV or similar. That definitely solves the problem, yes. But my solution is to spend $11 on a ChromeCast so that they can just hit a button in the iPad app they're already using and have it appear on the TV. It's both more usable (i
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I have to set anything technical up for them anyhow, so I'm not sure how that's relevant. I had to set up Netflix for them, I had to set up their wifi hotspot, and they don't do local streaming media. They're not technically savvy: they're using what I've set up for them now, and this device looks like a cheap way to make that experience much simpler and better for them.
Multiuser vs kindle free time (Score:2)
Sounds like they are making steps in the right direction, I personally purchased a kindle because of kindle freetime. That decision was more than just restricting the kids, a big part was access to the free time unlimited content library and the age based content controls.
The article doesn't say if google is planning a similar service, which is what seems to be driving my associates with kids to buy the kindles.
Wireless charging? (Score:2)
The rumored specs for Nexus 7.2 all included wireless charging. Does anyone know for certain that it got dropped from the final spec?
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Who said it was dropped? It wasn't.
Does anything differentiate this gen of tablets? (Score:3)
Looking at the 7" tablets, it seems like these devices are all quite similar:
All roughly $200. Front and back cameras, vaguely comparable processors. The Nexus has a higher screen resolution than the other two, but lacks the microSD slot that the other two have. The Samsung uses its own Samsung app store, while the Google and Lenovo use the Google Play store. Anything else different?
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Looking at the 7" tablets, it seems like these devices are all quite similar:
All roughly $200. Front and back cameras, vaguely comparable processors. The Nexus has a higher screen resolution than the other two, but lacks the microSD slot that the other two have. The Samsung uses its own Samsung app store, while the Google and Lenovo use the Google Play store. Anything else different?
Of course they are quite similar. They are all made in China by the same suppliers. The only difference is how locked down the company wants to make them, and how they want to monetize them after-sale.
You can buy a chinese tablet straight from China for about 25%-30% less with the exact same specs. Some of the extra cost in the Google/Samsung models is due to better and more consistent software, but a good portion of it is going right into the pocket of those middlemen.
I have yet to see a Chinese t
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Only if you want to support SD cards > 64GB (aka SD XC). SDHC cards need a FAT license though. Though I'm fairly certain you can probably reformat 64GB SDXC cards with FAT32 and have it still work fine in everything.
Google doesn't want SD slots and gives pitifully low storage because they're a cloud (advertising) company. You put your music on Google Music, stream your Goog
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Yes, the Nexus 7 actually get's updates instantly, Samsung might roll them out in a year or two.
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It's a Nexus. That means it will get updated.
My almost 2 year old galaxy nexus just got updated to 4.3, same day.
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Not necessarily, the Nexus one stopped at android 2.3.6 and is no longer listed at https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images [google.com] and the Nexus S stopped at 4.1.1, never making it to 4.2.
Countdown... (Score:3)
Et Tu Brute? (Score:2)
The NEW Google Nexus 7 (Score:3)
.
Chromecast (Score:2)
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The protocol is fully open, linux OSS drivers will be available before the things are in wide spread use.
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The API used by desktop applications is for Chrome Apps, so Linux will work just fine, most likely.
HDMI woes (Score:2)
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And no fixes for problems. (Score:3)
Like Wifi refusing to connect some times until you turn it off and on again on the Nexus 4 and the older Nexus HSPA+ OR the camera getting stuck on in the background and turning the phone into a pocket heater while it drains the phone battery in less than 30 minutes.
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Who says there are no bug fixes in this update?
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Dont worry, one of the features of 4.3 this news omitted is disabling WIFI button - you can NEVER turn off wifi :)
"open"? (Score:3)
Since when did Google promised anyone that it would be "open"? The only thing they offer is source code.
That allows you to do a lot, but as we saw with Tivo, open source does not mean open access, etc.
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There are lots of licenses around, but I would say that if you can't fork it, it isn't open source.
Best wishes,
Bob
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Since when did Google promised anyone that it would be "open"? The only thing they offer is source code.
That allows you to do a lot, but as we saw with Tivo, open source does not mean open access, etc.
iirc right on the android announcement....
"Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications — all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation." --- that is off the original android announcement from 2007...
so since when? since they talked anything about android, since then.
Did Google just kill Roku? (Score:2)
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It's my understanding that Chromecast is just a streaming receiver. You still need something, like a phone or tablet to stream to it. By itself it does nothing. Roku otoh is self contained and doesn't require another device. Could be wrong, but from the coverage I've seen (which albeit isn't clear) it seems like a device to pair your TV screen to your android device.
No Search or Highlighting? Says Who? (Score:2)
Missing update (Score:3)
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The paragraph. (Score:4, Insightful)
At a press conference dubbed "Breakfast With Sundar,"
Large blocks of text are hard to read.
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> "I got tired of the whole Google+-ification of every Google product."
Yeah, that got irksome (for me) starting with Picasa.
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And No, I will not buy into the Apple world, either)
Re:No thanks (Score:5, Funny)
If someone wants me to migrate away from Android to their pet OS, then not having Google+ will be the kilelr feature. (Having some God-awful Ubuntoid+ instead is not it though).
And No, I will not buy into the Apple world, either)
--
A million lemmings can't be wrong.
So tell me why you will not buy into the Apple world?
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As a matter of principle I understand where you're coming from, but from a practical standpoint I just don't see it. I find it much easier to share stuff and interact with family members, especially the less tech savy, then I could if the services were separate.
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"You can keep all your privacy invading products to yourself Sundar. My next phone is going to be either a Jolla or a FirefoxOS device. I got tired of the whole Google+-ification of every Google product."
It has gotten rather depressing. I was leaning toward Android because it was more open than the Apple ecosystem (and demonstrably, Apple's "walled garden" has driven many people away from iPhone).
Android's attempts at "lock-in" come at a time when it is increasingly STUPID for Google to be doing it. People are really, really, tired of the corporate control, tracking, and surveillance both corporate and government.
If Firefox OS were further along, I would be very tempted. But only if there is decent ha
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Not being able to uninstall != lockin. Not being able to install a competitor is locking. Not being able to change the default handler is lockin, but you can do that.
Heck, even not being able to uninstall is a feature of the OEM not the OS. Nothing in the OS prevents those apps from being uninstalled- in fact various OEMs have shipped with many of those apps replaced. Samsung uses their own browser, and Verizon was using a different maps app for a while. The fact that it can't be uninstalled is a tech
Re:No thanks (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't understand. You can use android with the Google stuff disabled. You don't even need to use a Google account. All you really lose out on is the Google play store. But here's the best part: you can install other app stores! Like the Amazon one, or F Droid, or one of those porn ones that Steve Jobs griped about.
Hell, you could forego an app store altogether and just download apks from websites if you wanted. That's the beauty of Android. Ulike iPhones or Windows Phones, you're free to install what you want. It's like an actual PC in your pocket.
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"I wish I could mod summaries as troll. Honestly, many of us here make our livings creating proprietary software. Whining that Google makes proprietary apps just makes us all look bad. Stop it."
No one is whining that Google makes proprietary apps. We are taking note of the disconnect between the credit they want us to give them, and what they actually put out.
If you feel like that makes you look bad, perhaps you have something on your conscience?
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I have absolutely no complaints with mine. Love the thing. Yeah, it would be nice if you could plunk an SD card into it or properly access USB drives, but I've got other ways to move data on and off it, so it's a very very small inconvenience. I love the thing myself.