Google’s “Cloudy” Future: It’s All about Content Streaming
News from the 3-day Google I/O conference is already pouring out of the event. The main angle is content, and the new platforms from which Android users can access it.
Google Play, the search giant’s own version of App Store, now features the option to actually buy titles and not just rent them. As far as TV goes, Google Play now lets you purchase individual episodes on a pay-as-you-go basis, or just buy entire seasons.
The Play update ties in with the two new devices that the company debuted at I/O: the Nexus 7 and Nexus Q. The latter, which is the costlier of the two at $299, is a piece of hardware that’s purpose-built to stream content from the Google cloud – that is, it doesn’t limit the device to just one user.
Perhaps the most important detail is that the company is trying to pull an “Apple” with this product: the gimmicky Nexus Q is neither a phone nor a tablet, but rather a smooth black sphere that wirelessly connects to your home entertainment system and syncs your Android handset with just a tap.
The Nexus 7 in turn hasn’t disappointed. Made by Asus, the tablet features a 1280 x 800 display, a quad-core CPU and a 12-core GPU all designed to handle more advanced content such as games and video. It also runs on Jelly Bean, the successor of Ice Cream Sandwich.
Jelly Bean enhances swiping and overall user experience: control is now smoother, and new interface elements labeled as ‘cards’ display information more dynamically.
Last but not least, Google said it’s shutting down the popular Android Cloud to Device Messaging service used by developers to send data from their servers to their apps. It’s replacing it with an improved version that was renamed Google Cloud Messaging for Android that is – to the relief of the ecosystem – also free.
Since you’re here …
… We’d like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of the content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we don’t have a paywall or run banner advertising, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or the need to chase traffic.The journalism, reporting and commentary on SiliconANGLE — along with live, unscripted video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video teams at theCUBE — take a lot of hard work, time and money. Keeping the quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalism content.
If you like the reporting, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to check out a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your support, and keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.
