All In One Place: Google Keynote Announcements (Ongoing)

Another day, another tech keynote. The summer is a busy time for tech press and loyal followers alike. There is a ton of news and releases in the summer months, making for a busy yet also fun jaunt.

Today, Google had plenty to talk about in the way of Android and Chrome and in how they bring your tech life together into one, always reachable sphere. There was of course some talk of new Nexus 7 hardware as well. So, let’s get to the highlights so you can get in and get on with your day.

(Event ongoing…)

Nexus 7

As previous rumors leading up to today and eluded to, the Nexus 7 is now a true “HD” tablet thanks to a new, higher resolution display of 1920 x 1200. The jump in resolution translates into 323ppi (vs the outgoing Nexus 7’s 216ppi). The display, according to Google, is also 30% more colorful.

The brain behind it all is Qualcomm’s 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro tag teamed by 2 GB of RAM. For U.S. customers at least, an unlocked LTE model will be made available. Camera duty on the Nexus 7 is provided by a rear-facing 5-megapixel shooter and a 1.2-megapixel ‘round front. Battery life is rated at 9 hours of HD video playback and 10 hours of web browsing. Also as previously rumored, the shipping version of Android is Android 4.3 (still) Jelly Bean.

Nerdy specs aside, the new Nexus 7 we’re looking at is 50g lighter and has a slightly smaller bezel (though they could stand to remove a bit more if we’re to be honest).

Pricing: 16/32/64 GB models with WiFi and LTE for $229 | $269 | $349 respectively. Availability beginning June 30th in the U.S. and in the coming weeks to carrier partners as well as other countries.

Android 4.3

New hardware is great and all, but software is where the battles are really fought (and won). Android 4.3 may seem rather minor on the surface, but underneath the hood there are a few things to focus on.

• Multi-user profiles with restrictions: Originally debuting in Android 4.2 JB, in 4.3 multi-user profiles now get “restricted profiles” support, allowing app restructures at the user level – parental controls, basically.

• Bluetooth Smart (Bluetooth Low Energy)

• OpenGL ES 3.0 support (Gamers rejoice)

• New hardware level DRM support

• Android 4.3 OTA update rollout starting today for Nexus branded hardware (Nexus 7 and 10 tablets and Nexus 4 phone). Google Edition devices – “coming soon…”

Other Updates

Hardware and OS aside, Google also took time to highlight some newcomers to the Google Play store. First up, Google Play Games. This new section is a game specific (obviously) portal to you and your friends’ game play info and achievements. Google Play Books has also gained a new category – Textbooks. Google said during the keynote that they have 5 big name publishers on board, together providing a “comprehensive selection. Users can purchase or rent (for 6 months) textbooks via Google Play.

Chromecast

Ever wish you could bring Google Chrome to your TV…any TV? Chromecast is your answer. The tiny dongle unveiled today plugs into an HDMI port on your TV and is powered by USB. First, connect the Chromecast dongle to your WiFi. Then, open up you phone or laptop to YouTube in chrome and a new “cast” button will appear. Tap it and content is beamed from your phone/laptop to the Chromecast dongle in your TV via WiFi.

Essentially, it’s like Apple’s AirPlay but for YouTube. Question is, is YouTube this important in your daily life that a dongle is necessary to beam it to your TV? Don’t think too hard at the moment as other content sources appear to be on the table. At the event, Netflix was also shown meaning content to the TV via Chromecast as was Google Play Music and Movies, and Pandora. Even more exciting, though, is the ability to send a browser tab to your tv (shown off on a Windows machine). Said feature is still currently in beta, however, with Google vaguely listing support as “most Windows and Mac devices”.

Developing