At the opening Google I/O 2013 keynote, Google revealed that it would be taking a much different approach to the developer conference than it had in years past. It was less about consumers and consumer products, and more about services and developers – as it should be. Many were upset over the lack of new hardware and the lack of a true point update to the Android operating system. But as I explained in an editorial on Wednesday, there was much more to the keynote than what initially met the eye. It was about updating the OS in a way all existing users (or every user on version 2.2 and ...

Those of you who stuck around for the entire Google I/O 2013 keynote address yesterday got to see a hoarse-sounding Larry Page take the stage to wax philosophical, answer questions, and take a few swings at Google's competition. Microsoft found itself on the receiving end of just such a volley, with Page criticizing the company's willingness to let its products interoperate with Google's. Specifically, Page talked about Google offering to have the companies' instant messaging protocols work with each other, and despite Microsoft taking Google up on its offer, it hasn't returned the favor ...

Google's just-announced Hangouts app is the new hottness (unless you're AT&T, apparently), so it's no surprise that Google is excited about spreading the word. To that end, it's thrown together a video demo showing some of what Hangouts is capable of, and how it lets you connect with your friends. In the process, Google just might have revealed a new Nexus tablet... or is this just some dumb prop model we're getting needlessly worked-up over? Just around twenty seconds into the clip below, you can see a tablet in the seven-to-eight inch range with a beveled edge and a glowing ...

Yesterday's announcement of what's essentially a Nexus Galaxy S 4 was pretty big news. Sure, it doesn't carry the Nexus 4's crazy low price tag, but if you've got the money, and could care less about all of the Galaxy S 4's gimmicky software, the phone offers the potential for a seriously high-end stock AOSP experience. While this was very cool in and of itself, we couldn't help wonder if Google might run with this idea; could we also see faux Nexus versions of other noteworthy Androids? Maybe of that Android that gives the GS4 a serious run for its money, the HTC One? Don't hold your ...

One week ago, Microsoft came out with a really nice overhaul for its Windows Phone YouTube app. It wasn't long after that when we learned of a possibly big problem for this new release, as some of its behavior appeared to conflict with YouTube API terms and conditions. We wondered if Google might go so far as to take steps to disable the app. Sure enough, Google has sent Microsoft a cease-and-desist letter, insisting that Microsoft kill the app. Just as expected, Google takes issue with Microsoft pulling an end-run on content producers that rely on advertising for income, as the Windows ...

Yesterday's Google I/O keynote may not have brought us the rumored Google Babel - at least not with that name, anyway - but we did learn of work towards a unified messaging system, only adopting the old Google+ name of Hangouts. The company announced Hangouts for web, Android, and even iOS, giving users a consistent experience across disparate devices. It all sounded quite interesting, but it wasn't quite the comprehensive messaging experience we dreamed of, missing one key feature: connection with your phone's SMS messages. Luckily, it looks like that's essentially confirmed, and should ...

For a Google I/O with not much to offer in the way of big Android announcements, there sure were a lot of smaller improvements Google had to share. After telling us about new Android APIs and the AOSP Galaxy S 4, the I/O keynote switched gears to Chrome and some other Google services. A lot of changes were revealed, so let's hit on some of the more notable ones. Some of the most impressive news was about the Google search experience. Voice-based search sees a number of improvements enhancing its ability to parse common language queries, letting you have a bit of a conversation with Google; ...

One of the last Google I/O rumors to arrive before things got started was word of a Nexus-like version of the Galaxy S 4, the GS4 Google Edition. We've been lowering our expectations when it comes to Google I/O device announcements this year, but this one actually ended up happening, with Google announcing the phone today. This GS4 runs stock Android, just like the Nexus 4. Updates will come from Google, quick and speedy, just like with regular Nexus devices. You'll be able to buy the phone right through Google from the Play Store when it start selling next month. This version of the GS4 ...