ANDROIDPOLICE VIDEO OF THE DAY<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n
the space<\/h2>\n Google’s “booth” is actually a freestanding structure just outside the convention proper. it’s very Google,<\/em> Featuring slickly designed, minimalist staging areas for demonstrations of a bunch of Android ecosystem features.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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The exterior of the building features a billboard-size display that cycles through a bunch of cutesy Android graphics. Inside, the showroom is modern and spacious \u2014 though the crowds that have filled it all week make it feel a little less roomy. It’s chock-full of Google gadgets, obviously, but there are third-party devices sprinkled throughout, too. Google’s really trying to drive home the idea of \u200b\u200bAndroid as a cohesive ecosystem this year.<\/p>\n
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There’s a bunch of cool Android-themed decorations around, including a blue, camouflage-patterned bugdroid hanging from the ceiling and a very charming topiary. Google also put some smaller embellishments in less obvious places, like the little illuminated Androids you can see here that are near the floor.<\/p>\n
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Much of the space is dedicated to showing how you’re able to easily control media and smart home devices using Google products. There are staging areas for automations, Chromecast audio switching, Google TV, and more.<\/p>\n
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A lot of what Google’s showing here has been around for a while, but it found clever ways to highlight the functionality. one area demonstrates how you can tie automations to alarms to do things like turn on lights or coffee makers automatically when you wake up; another shows how easy it is to move audio streams between different Assistant devices.<\/p>\n
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There are a couple of new tidbits, though. While it’s already possible to move your YouTube Music stream between Assistant speakers right from the notification panel, Google’s announced that that functionality is soon coming to Spotify, where it’ll work with both Assistant and Spotify Connect-enabled speakers. You’ll also eventually be able to receive preemptive notifications about switching your media playback to the nearest speaker so you don’t have to dig through any apps to make your music move with you.<\/p>\n
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Android Auto<\/h2>\n Google is talking up Android Auto’s big new redesign at CES. The company officially announced the update way back at I\/O 2022, but it’s finally rolling out to everybody.<\/p>\n
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Google’s offering in-vehicle demos, and the cars it brought to do it are pretty flashy. There’s a BMW i7, plus Volvo’s unreleased electric SUV, the 2024 EX90.<\/p>\n
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The two cars have different display form factors, so they’re a good way to show just how adaptable Android Auto is. The wait to get into either vehicle has been long, though.<\/p>\n
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Wear OS<\/h2>\n There’s a handful (wristful? No? Sorry) of Wear OS demos set up, showcasing both new and existing features.<\/p>\n
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There’s a station where you can take a selfie on an Android-themed bench using a Wear OS watch (not pictured here, unfortunately), one where you can get info about the Pixel Watch’s Fitbit integration, and a demonstration about controlling smart home devices through the relatively new Wear OS Google Home app.<\/p>\n
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The biggest news here is probably Watch Unlock, a Pixel Watch feature that keeps your phone unlocked only when you’re wearing the watch, as opposed to the existing Smart Lock option that lets you bypass your lockscreen any time your watch is connected (whether you ‘re wearing it or not). It’s a more secure setup, but certain things like contactless payments will still require unlocking your phone manually. We don’t know exactly when Watch Unlock will roll out, but given it’s being shown off at CES, hopefully it’s coming soon.<\/p>\n
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…and the rest<\/h2>\n There are demos of a few more existing features, too, plus the obligatory display of Google hardware.<\/p>\n
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One interesting display is about an accessibility feature called Sound Notifications, which lets your phone listen for sounds of your choosing to receive notifications. It’s primarily meant to help people with hearing loss \u2014 for example, if you have trouble hearing your doorbell, you can configure Sound Notifications to deliver a notification when it rings. There’s a list of preprogrammed sounds, or you can configure custom notifications for anything you need to be aware of by recording your own sounds for it to listen for.<\/p>\n
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Google is also demoing Nearby Share in an area where you can design your own custom bugdroid (mine’s the blue one in the ballcap) and then send it wirelessly to a number of nearby tablets in a few taps. There’s even a functioning slot machine themed around Fast Pair. You can’t actually try Fast Pair \u2014 there are dozens and dozens of phones around and they’d all see the notification \u2014 but the machine dispenses green M&Ms and jelly beans, which is a fun touch.<\/p>\n
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Even if there wasn’t much new for Google to show off at the convention, its showing this year is still a lot of fun. Want more CES? Check out our favorite new gadgets from the show.<\/p>\n
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CES is happening right now in Las Vegas. The entire show is a spectacle, with participating companies showing off the latest tech of all kinds \u2014 from everyday products like phones and tablets to slightly stranger fare like a connected urinalysis device and battery-powered TVs. Google didn’t have all that much new to show this …<\/p>\n
Here’s your up-close and personal look at Google’s Android experience at CES<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nHere's your up-close and personal look at Google's Android experience at CES - harchi90<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n