Nexus 5

A new Nexus Phone -   successor to galaxy nexus.
A higher spec nexus Tablet -   stepped up from the nexus 7
Google TV -   android box for your tv
Google Project Glass -   augmented reality glasses
The Nexus Q -   streaming music player

Could these be the 5 nexus devices to celebrate android's 5 birthday on the 5 of November?
The date is also said to coincided with the launch of android version 5 "key lime pie"

Will it be 5 nexus phones or a combination of phones and tablets?

3 months to go, anything could happen...

What are your thoughts?

Google Launches Android Classes to Bolster App Development

Google Launches Android Classes to Bolster App Development:

Professor Android, I presume? Photo courtesy of Google

In today’s mobile platform wars, it’s not the size of your smartphone that matters — it’s the number of apps you’ve got, and how well they work.

Google knows this much is true. On Thursday evening, the company launched Android Training classes, an effort to boost its app developer base in both breadth and quality.

“Each class explains the steps required to solve a problem, or implement a feature, with plenty of code snippets and sample code for you to use within your own apps,” wrote Android developer relations tech lead Reto Meier in a company blog post.

Admittedly, it’s more of a Phoenix U than an MIT. Currently, all of the “lessons” are available online via Android’s Developer web site, with separate sections devoted to the nuanced challenges developers face when coding for the OS.

There are, however, more targeted categories for different types of developers and app strategies, including sections like “Developing for Enterprise,” and tutorials focused on ad-based monetization strategies for apps.

In a technical sense, these classes are especially important considering some of the Android-specific issues that programmers must deal with. Case in point: the wide variety of screen sizes that results from providing the OS to dozens of hardware manufacturers for use on all manner of devices.

What’s more, Google needs to beef up its app catalog in general. Currently, the Android ecosystem includes some 250,000 apps, and that’s about 250,000 fewer than what Apple boasts in its App Store. It’s an uphill battle, considering Apple’s app momentum doesn’t show signs of slowing.

This isn’t the first time Google has taken to schooling developers. In August, the company hosted a series of workshops focused specifically on creating tablet-optimized apps. Dubbed Android Developer Labs (or ADLs), the aim was to boost the piddling number of Android tablet apps available in the Market, while simultaneously teaching developers tricks to improve app quality. The sessions were initially infrequent, with a handful occurring in the U.S., as well as an Indian session.

Of course, not all of Android’s app problems can be fixed with better software development. Google has recently made headway in improving the Android Market itself, as the company launched a major interface overhaul in May and another in July for mobile devices.

Developer relations lead Meier says that this is a small step in the department’s overall plans, and we should expect a greater offering of courses and tutorials over the coming months.

Polaroid Android

Polaroid ‘Smart Camera’ Runs Android:

"It's not a camera phone. It's a 'smart camera', m'kay?

The inevitability of this camera doesn’t make it any less surprising: Polaroid is set to launch a “smart” camera running Android, and with Wi-Fi inside. The camera–which looks a lot like a cellphone with a big lens attached–will pack a 16MP sensor, a 3x optical zoom lens and a touch-screen display.

It’s a very smart move from Polaroid, a company which has been flailing around for a purpose since film died. The cellphone camera is in many ways the spiritual successor to the iconic instant photos, so why not get in on the action? Phones might not have the image quality of the best compacts, but you can share and edit your photos right there, something cameras have been unable to do. Until now.

You can of course load on any camera app you like (apart from the iPhone-only Instagram), but Polaroid seems to have put some effort into its own camera app. 18 scene modes are joined by smile and face detection, geo-tagging, editing and automatically organized photo albums.

And because the SC1630 Smart Camera runs Wi-Fi and not 3G, you won’t be forced to sign up for yet another data plan. It’s a lot like an iPod Touch with a good camera.

I’m very interested in this. I’m permanently on the cusp of buying an iPhone just for the camera, even though I almost never make calls and carry my 3G iPad with me everywhere. If Instagram ever gets around to making an Android app, then I’ll probably jump at this camera instead.

The Smart Camera will launch in 2012, price yet to be decided."

from Gadget Lab by Charlie Sorrel

Polaroid Announces the SC1630 Smart Camera Powered by Android [Polaroid]

Samsung Announces Wi-Fi Enabled, Android Controlled Digicam

Google Unveils Brilliant Android-Controlled LED Light Bulb

"

Today Google flipped the switch on a remarkable new LED bulb that can be controlled by any Android device using the company’s new open-source wireless networking protocol. The search giant worked with Lighting Science Group to develop the omnidirectional 60-watt equivalent bulb, which can be dimmed or brightened on the fly by an Android-equipped smart phone, tablet, or laptop. The smart bulb is the perfect test bed for Google’s new protocol, which stands to open the door to a new wave of energy-efficient home systems."

via Google Unveils Brilliant Android-Controlled LED Light Bulb

multitouch test : Acer iconia honeycomb tab

The display was able to recognise 10 points at a time. Using Super Paint app here multiple lines are drawn simultaneously. I found the response time could have been a bit quicker. The line falls behind the point of touch, I think this can be a simple way to compare the performance of tablets.

Pioneer Android Cyclocomputer

Android3: Honeycomb Tablet U.I.

Phandroid's " in depth look at what's new in the latest version of Android, Honeycomb, direct from Verizon's 2011 CES keynote presentation."


The walk-through explains some of the user-interface specific for this tablet version of android. For a start no hardware buttons are required such as back and menu etc. giving flexibility for any key configuration.  The software therefore functions in any orientation and reduces the dependence on manufacturers to provide the experience, a shortcoming in the Galaxy S.
Honeycomb develops the widgets allowing most things to be done without even opening an app. These include viewing the latest YouTube hits, checking email, viewing your calendar or selecting a bookmark from your favourites list, all on the home screens.

A Honeycomb homescreen

The look of honeycomb is "futuristic but familiar". Appearing as a 3D interface, controlled by gestures where details "res-in when you need it and de-res when you don't". Personalisation and of the device is easier with the use of a customisation view.

Honeycomb customisation view

The customisation view displays your five home screens as well as providing a pallet where you can preview all of your widgets, app shortcuts, wallpapers and more. These are simply dragged to the desired position.


Also demonstrated was a new look YouTube and the new vector based Google Maps with 3D buildings you can tilt and pan around. Honeycomb versions of browser with tabs "as nature intended" and Gmail app which improve the clarity and control of data we sift through daily. 




images thanks to Droid X Plaza

Tablet Evolution by Motorola

Notion Ink Adam Demo

First video footage of the Notion Ink Adam, Android Tablet in action.

In the demo a USB drive and a wireless mouse are both plugged in to USB ports on either side of the tablet.

A major factor of the software interface appears to be the 'Panel Engine' which displays all apps side by side in a stream similar to cover flow in iTunes. However Adam can output this through HDMI.

'Launcher' which is similar to androids launcher combined with recent tasks and a search panel, is a hidden dock wich when activated reveals the ribbon of recent apps.
Various hardware buttons are demonstrated including 'quick tab'.
Copy and paste which integrates with a notes app is shown appearing as acrop field from any view.

The canvas app is shown finger painting and "supports layers" image editing and auto saves .
The "bonus mystery feature" is still not revealed and the back of the device is never shown (hiding the rear touch pad no doubt)
More specifications
Official site

TEXT IN THE VIDEO READS

"notionink 

adam 

DEMO

To re-produce a real world scenario for a heavy user, we have kept these applications and their panels open:

EMail Client (mail'd), Browser, Navigation App, Canvas Application, Calendar, Calculator, Office Suoite (PDF file 6.5MB), Sniffer (File browser with Internal Memory, Pen Drive and SD Card Data indexed) and E-book reader. Later we added Weather App and a few tads in the browser.

This is not the same with other devices that run or display only one app at a time.

Pen Drive

Swivel Camera

Panel Engine

Select any panel to view

Tap to get a panel in focus

Calendar Panel Selected

Swipe Across to browse

Launcher

The Launcher conveniently arranges recently opened app panels at the beginning of the list. Clicking on these icons will bring the app in the panel system to the focus.

Tap outside to hide the launcher ribbon

Ebook reader

Tap to change the panel in focus, in this case to Sniffer

Accessing data in the USB

Launcher

Maps and Navigation

Eden comes with on device Vector Maps. (included only from Honeycomb on Android devices)

Press Home Key to access Panel System

When you reach the end of the content, it stretches let us know we reached the end of the panel list.

When you open an application without a panel, Eden seeks your permission to open the application in the full screen mode.

PDF viewer

Multi touch support for zoom in and zoom out.

Press Menu Key to access Panel Specific function

Full SCreen Browser

Hot Plug Support for wireless devices, in this case it's a mouse.

Full computing experience with peripherals.

Multi-touch Drag-up to access quick menu.

Crop and copy functions which integrates with Notes App

Content is automatically "arranged"

Canvas App

You can paint or edit images.

Canvas support multiple photo-effects, and layers

Your art-work is automatically saved.

Noticing the Android 2.3 UI framework?

Calculator

When you tap on the result, it gets copied to the clipboard

Let's launch the Full Screen Browser

You can quickly add a tab or open a closed one"

Left edge inserted with USB drive

Bottom edge

Right edge