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Hands on: Building with the Labo-like NXP i.MX7D dev kit for Android Things [Gallery]

Google announced on Monday that Android Things is finally ready for production, and to back that up they’re sending all Google I/O attendees home with a nifty dev kit to get started. Google also sent the press home with the same kit for us to check out and tinker with, and tinker we did. We put it together, booted it up, and took some shots so you can see everything in the box…


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Comment: Reinvigorated with a slew of updates at I/O, Google Assistant is more natural & useful

Google I/O is a developer event and that focus was in full force earlier this month. Of course, for the consumer, it can be a bit hard to be interested by the laying of groundwork for future functionality.

However, compared to previous years, I/O 2017 was wildly exciting for the slew of updates that Google quickly rolled out to one of its existing products. A year after its introduction, the Assistant received new features that notably make it more useful and reaffirm how important it is to Google’s future.


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Do you prefer using keyboard or voice input with Google Assistant? [Poll]

This past week at I/O 2017, Google finally introduced a long-awaited and requested feature for Google Assistant: keyboard input. Although it is already quick and easy to trigger Assistant with your voice and ask a question, you couldn’t use it when in a quiet environment. Now that keyboard should be rolling out to all, which form of input do you prefer using?


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Missed the Google I/O keynote and breakout sessions? Here’s how you can catch up

Today is day three of I/O 2017, and that means that we are nearing the end of this year’s Google developer conference. So far we have seen the company announce new features coming to Android, VR, a bunch of new tools for developers to help them make great apps, and much more.

However, if you missed any of the keynotes or sessions, don’t worry at all because Google recorded every single one of them so that you can go back and watch them when you’re ready…


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Googler details how Android Go differs from Android One, oddly mentions One’s US launch (which hasn’t happened) [Video]

Android Go, announced yesterday during the I/O 17 keynote, is Google’s new initiative to bring a speedy and optimized version of Android to sub-$100 devices. But since the long-available Android One platform aims to accomplish similar — albeit not identical — goals, we thought we’d ask Google exactly where Go sits in the new lineup. Not only did Google clarify the difference between them, it also (perhaps mistakingly) touched on the long-rumored launch of Android One for the US…


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Android devs can now block app installations on devices that don’t pass SafetyNet

Last weekend, Netflix was in the news because the company made it so that rooted devices and those with unlocked bootloaders could no longer download the application. Netflix quickly confirmed that it would start blocking the installation of the app from the Play Store for devices that didn’t pass Google’s Safety Net. Now, Google has updated the Google Play Console to make it easier for all developers to do the same thing…


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Do you prefer Android O’s new emoji over the blobs, or is there work to still be done? [Poll]

For years now, Google’s emoji have stood out from the crowd because they didn’t share the typical round design seen on other smartphones. Many called these emoji “blobs” because of their shape and it was pretty hit or miss as far as if someone liked them. Now that they have been updated in Android O, do you miss them or are the new emoji better?


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Google I/O 2017 halts temporarily due to fire, press being evacuated [Update]

Update 6:13pm PT: The Google Developers Twitter account has posted thanking the Mountain View Fire Department for putting out the fire and that no attendees were hurt. Unfortunately, three event staff members were injured and are receiving treatment.

Update 4:40pm PT: The fire appears to have been extinguished. Emergency vehicles are now departing the Shoreline Amphitheatre and attendees are now being allowed back in.

A fire has broken out inside one of the food establishments within Google’s developer conference. As of now, we do not know if anyone was harmed by the fire or how the fire was started but the press lounge was evacuated for everyone’s safety…


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Hands-on: Android in the Car one-ups Android Auto with native controls through Assistant and more [Video]

In-car infotainment systems have long been pretty bad. As touchscreens entered the game, things only got worse, especially in the way of applications. Google and Apple both have ways to fix that, but they don’t provide functionality that the car’s system has, such as climate controls.

With the option to build Android into manufacturers own systems, Google is making it easier for car makers to integrate options like Google Assistant and Android apps into vehicles, and at I/O 2017, we’ve gone hands on.


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What was your favorite announcement from the first day of Google I/O 2017? [Poll]

Today has been a busy day in the world of Google as the company kicked off its annual developer conference with a keynote address. During this presentation, Google unveiled new features coming to Android, Google Assistant, and all sorts of improvements for some of its other apps and services. What was your favorite announcement from day one of Google I/O 2017?


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Google I/O 2017 roundup: Here’s everything Google announced this year [Updating]

Google I/O 2017 has been surprisingly chock-full of announcements this year, to say the least. The overarching theme is definitely artificial intelligence and how that tech is manifesting itself in Google Assistant. But there have been plenty of announcements surrounding all of Google’s several ecosystems — from Android, to Daydream, to services like Google Photos and Gmail.
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