Every month Google puts out a platform distribution chart to give us a better idea of what OS version Android devices are running. Not much has changed since last month which is quite disheartening considering it’s been a few months since Android 4.0 was released. Ice Cream Sandwich is Google’s latest and greatest Android version and yet less than 2% of devices are running it. It really is a shame and it’s too bad OEM’s and carriers are taking so long because Android 4.0 is such a great improvement to the user experience.
Android and iOS users will now be able to quickly access the places they have searched for on Google thanks to Google’s new “Recent” icon on their mobile search page. Any user who has Web History enabled and is logged into Google when searching for a place will have that search saved and accessible via the “Recent” icon. Searches will be saved for approximately 24-hours and will give users the convenience of starting searches from their desktop and later pulling up that information while mobile.
I bet you thought you were pretty cool showing off your X-ray app and farting cat. Well, it’s time to get schooled by some professionals who are going to show you just how amazing your phone could be. Watch as car-hacker/engineer Dr. James Brighton recreates the popular mobile racing game Reckless Racing 2 using two MGF sports cars and an Xperia Play and Xperia S. This was all done in conjunction with Xperia Studio, a project created by Sony which invites people across the globe to test the limits of mobile technology. It never ceases to amaze me what some individuals can accomplish and it’s projects like these that get me excited about the future.
If you’re new to Android you may be trying to figure out what all these tasty desserts have to do with your favorite mobile OS. Well, Google likes to name every major version of Android after a delicious treat and has been following alphabetically ever since Cupcake. We’re currently on the letter “I” and that’s why you’ll hear Android 4.0 referred to as Ice Cream Sandwich. Up next is “J,” and Google has all but confirmed Jelly Bean, but what if we told you they’ve also decided on a name for the OS after Jelly Bean? Hopefully you’d say “Woah, hold your cupcakes!” I mean seriously, only 1% of Android users even have Ice Cream Sandwich and you want to talk about an OS that probably won’t be out until 2014!? Rest assured we feel the same way, but if you’re still curious, a reliable source has told The Verge that Key Lime Pie will follow Jelly Bean.
Google has been working on a voice assistant service similar to Apple’s Siri and last we heard it was going to be called Majel (named after the woman who provided the voice of the Federation Computer on Star Trek). According to the latest rumors, that name seems to have been dropped in favor of the simpler “Assistant.” This information comes via an unnamed source who spoke with TechCrunch about the project. The project, which is being led by the Android team along with the help of search engineer Amit Singhal, is expected to launch Q4 and includes three core layers to achieve its goals:
