We know that “Bouncer” has long been a go-to tool for Google to scan apps coming into and already on the Play Store and your phone. Sundar Pichai came to bring the noise at the I/O keynote.
First and definitely not least, security patches are going to be installed through Google Play Services. Got a Galaxy S5 that hasn’t seen a new update in a while? No problem, SSL should be able to be fixed through play Services. Takes a year before a software update? Don’t sweat it. Updates will be delivered every 6 weeks. Not sure what permissions have been allowed to what app? They got that. Universal Data Controls will allow you to set your privacy permissions in one location.
They also talked about some of the tools which get corporate people if not excited, but at least allow them to smile a little less worriedly by giving the ability to separate work and personal apps and data. Although it’ll be built into the upcoming L version, a lot of that functionality will be available via apps on the Google Play Store. If you’re feeling like its not a new thing, it really isn’t: Samsung has now contributed its KNOX codebase to Google.
Remember that low-key deal Google and Samsung made not too long ago? It turns out we’re about to see the benefits of it sooner than we thought.
Android Wear
We knew from the Motorola announcement that a circular watch would be coming. The good news is that it won’t be a Motorola exclusive. Developers can choose from both square and circular designs. If square also means rectangular wasn’t specified, but it’s something we may get to see pretty soon.
It’ll be able to respond to spoken questions, so if you’re OK with talking to your wrist then you can chat away. We got a nice idea of the different watch faces that should be available by default, but one of the best elements is the way it will sync your notifications – if you swipe away from your watch, it’ll clear the notification from the phone. If this sounds similar, its the same system that works across Google Hangouts and Google Now on different devices.
There’s a lot in the upcoming Android Wear functionality: Some of it should be fun, some of it should be functional to some people. If you can’t wait to get one of these on your wrist, then you should be able to order both the LG watch AND the new Samsung Gear later today if you’re happy to order from the US of A… sadly, there’s no confirmation on whether its going to be a worldwide release yet, or if its going on sale in other regions.