With the discharge of Android 14 creeping nearer, Google simply introduced a makeover for the Android model, which was final up to date in 2019. The brand has been modernized, and the Android mascot, referred to as Bugdroid, has a recent 3D look. The corporate additionally unveiled a handful of recent options for Google apps and Android units, together with a Google Assistant-powered widget and the choice to retailer digital variations of library and health club playing cards in your Google Pockets.
The brand new look is designed to “mirror Android’s core ethos of being open, iterative, and inclusive.” Any more, it’s Android with a capital “A,” and the Android brand has grown curvier, bringing it nearer to the model of the Google brand. The tiny inexperienced robotic that has lengthy served as Android’s mascot has been rendered in 3D and has a brand new visible id, with recent colours (together with a natty rainbow end), equipment (like a headscarf and hat), and a few playful animations.
Scorching on the heels of the Android rebrand comes Google’s quarterly Android characteristic drop. First up is the Assistant At a Look widget in your house display screen, a revamp of the prevailing At a Look widget. It employs machine studying algorithms to supply snippets of related data, resembling native climate, journey updates in your flights, and useful occasion reminders.
A brand new characteristic referred to as Picture Q&A on Google’s Lookout app makes use of synthetic intelligence to generate detailed descriptions of pictures, so as an alternative of counting on rudimentary alt tags, people who find themselves blind or have low imaginative and prescient can get correct descriptions of a picture and even ask follow-up inquiries to be taught extra about it. Google has additionally added one other 11 languages to the Lookout app, together with Chinese language, Korean, and Japanese.
Google Pockets is getting the much-needed capacity to import and digitize passes with barcodes or QR codes. Which means you possibly can add a photograph of your health club move or library card and retailer a safe, digital model of it in Google Pockets, which can turn out to be useful once you neglect your precise pockets once more.
Android Auto is getting assist for Webex and Zoom audio convention calls. Sure, meaning you possibly can be part of conferences on both platform and browse your schedules in your automobile show. You possibly can mute your mic and finish the decision by means of Android Auto. Useful for once you’re operating late however really want to affix a name. Implementing it into your automobile’s system hopefully means you will not use your telephone whereas driving.
The ultimate new characteristic is tied to Google Assistant—you possibly can add sleep-tracking information from Fitbit or Google Match right into a Google Assistant Routine. Say, “Hey Google, good morning” after you set it as much as get a recap of your sleep stats alongside your morning information, together with once you fell asleep and what number of hours of shuteye you managed to get.
These options are rolling out beginning as we speak and don’t require an over-the-air system replace. As a substitute, preserve a watch out for app updates within the Google Play Retailer.